On March 27, 2026, Governor Shapiro signed into law Act 8 of 2026 (“Act 8”). Act 8 has two (2) sections that are relevant to distilleries operating in Pennsylvania.

First, Section 408.17 creates a new set of “Philadelphia 250 Permits” in celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the United States. Any distillery or limited distillery that is located in Philadelphia may apply to the PLCB for a “Philadelphia 250 Permit” which shall be valid from June 11, 2026 to July 20, 2026 and allows the distillery or limited distillery an extra two-hour extension per day of operational privileges.

Second, Act 8 amended Section 505.4(a) of the Liquor Code to 1) allows distilleries established prior to 1885 to obtain a distillery of historical significance license 2) remove a maximum production requirement, and 3) if applicable, exchange a distillery license for a distillery of historical significance license. Holders of a distillery of historical significance license are permitted the same rights as governed under a distillery license.

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